The Hylian War
by xakattak
Summary: One of Link's childhood friends is murdered, and Link swears to find out who did it. But only the next day, he does. And that person wants vengeance on Link and the rest of Hyrule... Zelink, but this is old and I'm more of a Malinker now.
1. Chapter 1

Link snapped the reins as hard as he could. Epona whinnied and went even faster. The rain beat into his face, but he didn't care. It wasn't true. Then why was he racing as fast as he could toward the Kokiri Forest?

He snapped the reins again, shaking these thoughts out of his mind. It wasn't true. He was only going there because of a healthy curiosity. He hoped…

I Stop that! /I he thought to himself. There's nothing wrong with it. She's fine, she's fine. I Please be okay… /I 

She was okay. She couldn't die. There's no way, right?

Link came to an abrupt halt at the wooden tunnel that lead to the Forest. He climbed off Epona without bothering to tie her and raced across the bridge.

The entire forest was empty. None of the Kokiri were inside their homes. They were all gathered around Saria's. Saria's…

Link raced over there and gently pushed his way through the small children to see what they were gathered around, although he already knew.

It was true. There she was, lying on her bed, her face twisted with horror and shock. And in her belly, there was a jagged, black-bladed dagger, a dark brown stain around it and on her tunic. Her hands clutched the blade, as if she had tried to pull it out before she died.

Link just stood there, thunderstruck. His emotions were a mix of rage and despair. He fell to his knees and looked into the horrified eyes of his childhood friend. It was there, in her tree house, that he began to openly weep.

The Kokiri at first didn't know what to do. They looked around, exchanged glances, until Mido took off his hat and bowed his head. The Kokiri followed suit, and the entire Kokiri Forest mourned the death of the one who they had all looked up to.


	2. Chapter 2

"Honey, eat something," Zelda said. Link just twirled his fork in his food.

"I'm not hungry," he whispered softly. Zelda was worried. He hadn't eaten anything since the previous night (which usually wasn't saying much, but it was with someone like Link).

Zelda was about to say something else when their youngest son, Robin, interrupted.

"Dad, when are you going to give me that boomerang you had at my age?" he asked. Robin was one of their twins. The older twin, Ze, took very much after his older brother, Lance, who was seventeen. He wanted to be a warrior and fight bad guys. Robin did too, just not as much. He was in to the long-range weapons, like a bow and arrow and boomerang. Ze liked the blades: swords, daggers, axes, etc.

"When you're old enough, Robin. You're only twelve—" "But you were ten when you had it!" Robin pouted. Link was about to reply that he had no parents when there was a loud I BOOM/I that shook the entire castle.

"Din! What was that?" their oldest child, Rachel exclaimed. Link didn't bother to answer.

"Zelda, you take Robin, Ze and Rachel to the shelter. I'm going out there with Lance to see what's going on," Link said. Zelda nodded and took Robin and Ze in her arms while Rachel followed. She mouthed, "I love you," to her father before he left the room.

hr

Link slipped on some chain mail under his breastplate before strapping his sword and shield to his back. Lance did the same and they mounted their horses, charging into Hyrule Market to see what all the fuss was.

It was a large battle. Link's men were scattered all over the plaza, fighting creatures wearing dark black and brown armor. Were they… Gerudos?

He did hear many female-like shrieks, but he also heard some that sounded remarkably like bokoblins. Link charged ahead letting out a loud battle cry and lowered his sword to meet the neck of an unsuspecting soldier. His head, the head of a bokoblin, flew into the air, the stump spraying turquoise blood.

Link slashed his way through the ranks of the soldiers, whose leader was unknown, with great ferocity. There were limbs flying left and right in Link's wake.

His soldiers were struggling. They were greatly outnumbered, but every so often a few battalions of soldiers would exit the barracks, keeping the still unknown forces at bay. Link only hoped that they would be able to continue doing so.

He shook that thought out of his head with, I They will, they're very well trained/I . And they were. Their training was harsh and sometimes brutal, but it worked. They used intimidation a lot to harden the men and turn them into fighting machines. These enemy soldiers didn't seem to be very well trained, but there were much more of them than Link had.

Suddenly Link was knocked off his horse. He hit the cobbled ground hard, and his breastplate cut into his arm. He clutched the probably now bruised shoulder and stood up.

There was a huge, fat bokoblin standing in front of him, wielding a sword as big as Link. I Oh what I wouldn't give for the Master Sword right now/I he thought. The bokoblin brought the sword behind him and hacked downward, but Link rolled out of the way and took a swipe at the bokoblin's fat hip. But before the blade made contact with the brown skin, the bokoblin shot out his arm and caught Link in the side of the head. He flew backward and into the tree where two men with weird hairdos were always arguing. His vision got blurry and black, and little multicolored stars appeared in a circle around his vision. He shook his head hard and fought to stay conscious.

After a while his vision returned to normal, but he had a major headache and by then the bokoblin had cut the tree in half where his head was. He got up from his ducking position and reached for his sword. He dodged away from another blow from the sword and rolled under the bokoblin's legs. Obviously being an incredibly dumb creature, he scratched his head with a really stupid expression on his face.

Link then lashed out with his blade, catching the creature in the small of the back. He cried out loudly and fell to his knees, using his sword for support. The turquoise blood clashed horribly with its brown skin, but now wasn't the time to worry about color coordination. Link slashed again at his exposed skin, and he fell flat on his back, breathing heavily. Link then mercilessly brought the blade down on its fat neck and severed it from the bokoblin's shoulders.

Link quickly turned around to the sound of something metal stepping on cobble. It was another bokoblin, but before it could move, Link jabbed his blade into its exposed belly and pushed it over. He stepped over the body and slit another's throat from behind. Another came up to him, sword reared back, but Link ducked under the blow, blocked another, and then slammed his knee into the bokoblin's stomach. They didn't wear much armor, and so it was easy to find somewhere he could hit without hurting himself.

The bokoblin doubled over, the wind knocked out of it. Link then quickly punched its face, and slashed straight through its heart.

Link then saw his men fighting off the remainder of the troops before they ran off. They cheered victoriously, waving their weapons in the air.

But then Link realized the battle was far from over. He looked out past the drawbridge and saw a figure floating toward the city. Was that…? I No, it can't be/I Link thought.

But the closer it got, Link's heart sank lower. The figure had another, larger army behind it. This was not going to be pretty.

And then the figure reached the drawbridge and cackled evilly, but by then Link knew who it was. It was none other than the very man that Link thought he had destroyed twenty years ago. It was none other than the King of Evil, Ganondorf.


	3. Chapter 3

I Ganondorf! No! /I Link thought. I It cannot be! /I 

But it was. Somehow, he had broken free of the Sacred Realm and had entered Hyrule once more. And now he was after the kingdom once again.

"Ah, Link, a pleasure to see you again. You have no idea how long I've waited for this," he boomed in his deep voice. He floated over to him. Link wiped blood from his lip and looked the King of Evil straight in the eye.

"Ganondorf. It's been years," he replied. "Twenty, to be exact," said Ganondorf. He looked at Link casually, but his eyes burned with hatred and contempt.

"Yes, my friend—" "Don't call me that! Stop pretending and let's get this over with!" Link shouted.

"Why, Link, I'm offended!" Ganondorf said in mock hurt. "I expected that of all people, the King of Hyrule would be a gentleman and welcome his guests!"

"Well then," Link said as he climbed onto his horse. "Welcome back," and he struck out with his sword. It caught Ganondorf off guard, but he quickly blocked with his armored forearms.

Ganondorf wiped the smile off his face and it turned to a scowl of pure loathing. He called forth his own horse and sat atop it. He then drew a massive sword that was as big up and down as Ganondorf, who was at least seven feet tall. The sword curved in both directions at the top (it's the one on Super Smash Bros. Melee).

Link cried out and snapped Epona's reins. She whinnied and charged forth. Link could feel her hatred for this man burning through the saddle. She hated him almost as much as he did.

Link stuck his sword out to the side and let the Spin Attack charge within the blade. As soon as Ganondorf was within range, he unleashed the attack, spinning it around his head and shoulders.

In an unbelievable presentation of speed and reflexes, Ganondorf parried the attack and answered with one of his own. The dark, evil blade caught Link right in between his hip and ribcage, sending him soaring off his horse. He tumbled on the cobbled plaza, blood trailing behind him.

The sword had sent a charge of evil energy through his body and knocked him unconscious instantly.

Ganondorf laughed mirthlessly and his horse slowly trotted over to him.

He looked at the Hylian soldiers. "Look at your great king now. Look at the Hero of Time lay on the ground, weak and helpless. Look how he bleeds on the ground, the symbol of his weakness. He is pitiful.

"I, Ganondorf, have returned to reign over Hyrule once again as King of Evil. Know now that I am the law!" he shouted. The Hylian men cowered under him as he slowly floated over Hyrule Market.

Suddenly Ganondorf felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. It wasn't much, but it was enough to catch his attention.

Some young child had escaped from the shelter and was throwing rocks at him. He looked remarkably like Link…

"Well, well, what have we here?" he boomed. He floated over to the young child, who looked at him squarely. "I like you, kid. You're just like your father."

"Don't talk about my dad stupid head!" Robin yelled. Ganondorf's tolerance for children was not well, and it had just depleted.

Without a word, he charged his fist with dark energy and was about to unleash it when he felt something much sharper enter his shoulder. He cried out and reached for the large, wooden shaft sticking from his shoulder. He then turned to his right.

Another child, much older, about seventeen, looked at him with a bow in his hands, still aimed at Ganondorf.

"Why, you must be Link's I other /I son. He and the Princess must have gotten busy in the past twenty years. Why, you remind me exactly of him at your age. In fact, he was about your age when I first fought him. He was quite a challenge, I'll say. He even managed to defeat me."

Lance drew his sword and pointed it at Ganondorf. "What makes you think he won't do it again?" he said. Ganondorf cackled sincerely.

"Boy, naïveté does not suit you," he said and he floated to the center of the Market.

He was about to speak when Lance said, "You'd know all about naïveté, wouldn't you Ganondorf, or else you'd probably still be King of Evil."

Ganondorf wheeled around in mid-air to look at Lance. His eyes burned with anger, and Lance swore he could see purple fire in his eyes.

"You've got a lot of nerve, kid," he said simply. Lance just stared back, sword at his side. Ganondorf floated back over to him, getting up nose to nose to him.

"I could kill you, right here, right now, boy. I suggest you watch your tongue," he said. Lance lashed out with his sword and the blow was parried unbelievably fast. But this time Lance knew what was coming, so he blocked the counter attack and the duel began. Lance was more prepared than his father had been, but wasn't as good. So the swordfight didn't last long before Ganondorf sent the teenager soaring into a large building.

Ganondorf didn't even turn around before he felt the most excruciating pain he'd ever felt, and he knew that pain. It was a light arrow.

He turned and saw Queen Zelda wielding the same bow her son had used to distract him from Robin.

Ganondorf's arms stretched out to his sides and he bellowed in pain. He then cried out as he created a black hole to teleport him back to the Gerudo Desert, "This is war, Link!"

And the hole sucked him and the rest of his troops into the desert.

Zelda rushed over to her husband and asked Robin to wake Lance, for the blow had knocked him unconscious as well.

"Link, Link wake up! Oh no, your side! Link, I—" her breath caught in her throat, "gaah, your side! Ahhh, medic!" she screamed.

Almost instantly a man wearing a suit of armor and a helmet with a red cross on it rushed to her side.

"What is it, your Highness?" he asked.

"Take the king to the Hall of Healing and keep him there until his wound has completely healed! Move!" she cried. The medic nodded and waved his hand over to three other ones. They had brought the royal stretcher just in case and placed Link on it, then rushed him over to the Hall of Healing on the Castle Grounds right by the Fairy Fountain.


	4. Chapter 4

Link mumbled and moaned.

"Oh, Link, you're okay!" he heard a feminine voice shout. He felt fair skin and smooth hair on his bare chest. I This must be Zelda /I he thought.

"Hey, hon," Link mumbled, wrapping his arms around her. He lay there, slowly opening his eyes. His vision was very blurry.

"How come I can't see?" he mumbled.

"The dark energy in that blade made it so that your conditions would take longer to heal. Your unconsciousness hasn't fully worn off, so your vision is blurry and you'll have a severe headache for a long time. We have some painkillers you can take," Zelda explained.

"Okay, thanks honey," said Link. Zelda withdrew herself from him and took a look at him. She couldn't help but admire his strong chest and abs.

Link caught sight of this and smiled. "I would have thought you'd get used to that by now," he said. Zelda smiled again and said, "I'll be back later today. You get some rest."

Link nodded and fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Link awoke to the sound of moaning and wailing. He bolted upright, only to have his migraine stab him in the head. He clutched his head and slumped back to the pillow. He looked at the side table next to him. There was a glass of water and some strange looking tablets. I What are those things? /I he thought.

As if reading his mind, a voice said, "It's a new technology the doctors have recently discovered."

Link turned to the direction of the voice. There was an elderly nurse standing at the foot of his bed holding some bloody towels; Link didn't need to ask.

"They're painkillers; you just put them in your mouth and wash them down with the water. It's quite remarkable, and they work within minutes," she said.

She was a very old woman, but far from feeble. The pile of towels in her arms looked to have weighed at least forty pounds, with the added weight of the blood stained on it.

"Who are you?" Link asked. He made it a point to know who served him, but there were several servants he'd seen every day and had no clue who they were.

"My name is Scarlet. Now please, take those pills before I shove them down your throat," she said calmly but firmly.

Link hesitated before popping one in his mouth. Before he could wash it down, Scarlet said, "No, no, no, you're supposed to put them all in at once."

So Link placed the remaining four in his mouth and gulped them down. They tasted horrible, but he guessed that he'd be thankful for it later.

"Thank you," Link said as he wiped his mouth, a bitter taste in his mouth. Scarlet could see the distaste on his face and chuckled. "They taste quite bad, but you'll be thankful for it in about half an hour," she said.

Link nodded and almost instantly hit the pillow. His last thought was, I Are they sleeping pills or something! /I 

The last thing he heard was, "I forgot to mention, they placed a special sleeping draft in them just for you."

Lance always had a thing for building. He never really got a chance often because his social status required him to remain at the castle most of the time. So when he saw men going down to the Market to rebuild what was destroyed, he got himself a hammer and a bag of nails and joined them, much to his mother's protest.

As he hammered down new pieces of wood to the roof of the Happy Mask Shop, he pondered on this man, Ganondorf. His father had told him stories of Ganondorf ever since he was three. He never thought he was a real person until he was about fifteen, when his father was sent on an urgent mission to Termina to investigate sightings of Ganondorf.

So he must have broken out of the Sacred Realm on that day, or at least close to it. But how was it possible? His Triforce of Power was taken from him and all six Sages sealed the Realm on their lives. Did that mean… that he killed them?

That would explain why Saria was dead. But then how could they have seen Ganondorf two years ago when a Sage had just recently died?

This was a definite mystery and Lance wanted badly to get to the bottom of it. Of course, his father would never allow it, even though he started gallivanting across Hyrule and Termina at age ten. He was Lance's age when he first defeated Ganondorf!

And at that, he had never understood the story of how he defeated Ganondorf, then traveled back to his original time and went to Termina. Wouldn't Ganondorf have come back anyway since this happened in the future, not the past? If so, then he'd have to destroy Ganondorf all over again in seven years, right?

This was odd to think about indeed.

Suddenly Lance's train of thought crashed when he saw the most beautiful girl he'd seen in his entire life. She had long, red hair and was dressed in a rather worn dress; complete with manure covered boots and a cute little smudge of dirt on her face.

This wouldn't attract most men, but Lance wasn't most men. He could tell she was a farm girl (who couldn't?) and knew that she knew work well. He admired that in a girl.

He kept hammering while staring at her across the plaza. His hammer just kept pounding on the wood until he heard a loud _SNAP!_ and the board broke in half. Only a few people noticed, and those chuckled. Luckily the attractive girl didn't.

Lance cursed and reached for another board. Not learning from his mistake, he kept staring at her, and with the first hit on the board, the hammer made contact with his thumb.

"OW!" he shouted. This time the entire plaza noticed, including the girl. He didn't much care about everyone else, but was embarrassed to see her giggle as he bit his thumb.

She had a really cute laugh. Lance's heart melted at the sound of it. He needed to go and talk to her… but she had already left with her basket of fruit.

Lance cursed again. Feeling a little bit down, he continued hammering.


	5. Chapter 5

Link sat up, holding his head in one hand. He felt terrible. Those sleeping pills must have been powerful. But at least his side didn't hurt.

He looked at the wound and noticed that it was bandaged up. He lifted the bandages enough to see the wound. They had stitched it up in his sleep, but there was still blood all over it. The blood didn't look so good; it was a dark shade of purple.

_Must be that dark energy_, he thought. Link sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes. He did that for a minute or so and then stood on his feet. He had expected a huge wave of pain to come over him, but surprisingly nothing happened. He reached to his left and grabbed his clothes, which were folded neatly and the bloodstains had been cleaned off, and they had stitched the rip in it together as well.

He pulled on his pants and slipped on his shirt, walking out of the small building. He guessed they had been expecting him, because his carriage arrived in front of him before he had taken a step.

"Your Highness, a ride to the castle?" the coach asked. Link nodded and clambered in.

There, to his surprise, was his wife. "Ah, Zel—" he started, but she silenced him with a passionate kiss on the lips.

Link followed suit immediately and wrapped his arm around her neck, locking his lips onto hers for a moment until she broke off.

"Link…" she whispered. "I was so afraid that I had lost you when I saw Ganondorf strike you with that sword."

"I didn't feel a thing," Link replied. "I was unconscious as soon as the blade hit me. The next thing I knew I was in the Hall of Healing."

Zelda put a hand on his cheek. Link grabbed it and placed it in his own. The two smiled warmly at each other as the carriage rocked back and forth up the trail to Hyrule Castle.

Lance had the insight to bring his gauntlets to work that day. Even though he could still easily hit his exposed thumb, the tightness of the hard leather elbow-high glove would ease the pain.

He was still a little put out from the previous day and how that beautiful girl had laughed at him. Of course, she was probably just laughing _with _him, right?

He had the sudden instinct to look over to the same place that he had seen her the day before, but she wasn't there. He grumbled and continued hammering a board to the roof.

He finished that board and reached down for a second one. He was almost finished. He had about five or six boards left and he would be done with the roof of the Happy Mask Shop. They'd probably put him to work on the Bazaar next.

Lance heard a sound by the fruit bar. He snapped his head around to face the direction of it. There was nothing.

_Give it up, Lance, she's never coming back_, he thought. That just made him feel worse. He tried to knock some sense into him by hitting his head gently with the hammer, but that just gave him a little headache, despite how gently he had been hitting.

Lance heard a loud yell over at the fruit bar across the plaza. He refused to turn his head. He just kept slamming the hammer on the nail that pinned the wooden board to the roof. It wasn't until he heard, "No, let me go!" that he turned his head.

She was there. And some bearded man had her by the arm with a drunken, malicious stare in his eyes. Lance assumed the worst and slid down the ladder and over to the two.

He gripped the drunken man's arm and yanked it away from the girl's.

"I suggest that you let the lady go," Lance said coolly. _What am I thinking?_ he thought. _This guy's twice my size! _

The drunk guffawed and looked at Lance square in the eye. "And what are you gonna do about it, kid?" he said with a hard poke in the chest.

Then Lance remembered his authority as crown prince. He was about to say so when he saw a fat, chubby fist headed for his face. His ducked on pure instinct and the force of the man's punch spun him around and, in his drunken state, he almost toppled over.

This just angered him more. But Lance, being in an ideal position, tackled the man to the ground.

The man just laughed and threw Lance off him. Lance stumbled, then caught his balance. He only stood for another second when he was thrown off his feet with his left cheekbone throbbing.

Lance landed on his back, hard. He grunted with pain and quickly rolled away from the man's second punch. He quickly grabbed his arm for the third one and threw him behind him, or at least tried to. The man weighed at least three hundred pounds, and didn't even stumble. It was almost like Lance had pushed him gently.

"You're a fool, boy," he said as Lance stood. He quickly slammed an elbow right into Lance's mouth. Blood spurted from his mouth as his tooth jammed against his lip. _Ow…_he thought. The man wiped blood from his elbow and grabbed Lance by the scruff of the neck before he could fall to the floor.

Without a word he slammed his fist into Lance's stomach. His breath exited his lungs instantly. He tried to breathe, but his breath came in short grunts, making the drunk laugh and punch him again.

Lance felt like he was going to pass out. He had a large bruise on his face and blood was dripping from his open mouth, getting on his teeth. He had always hated that weird, salty taste.

The drunkard then threw Lance down on the hard cobble again. Lance just lay there, ready for the pain.

The drunk laughed one final time and slammed his fat, hairy fist into Lance's face. He distinctly remembered a loud cracking sound in his nose as he blacked out.


	6. Chapter 6

Lance awoke to the soft sensation of a wet sponge on his face. He would've jerked awake if he could've felt his face. It felt like mashed potatoes, or lettuce. Either one worked.

Lance groaned in pain.

"Shh, don't move your face," a kind, gentle, female voice said.

"Ugh… where am I?" Lance asked. He couldn't remember why he was asleep. Whatever he was laying on sure didn't feel like his bed. It was a bed, just not his.

"You're at Lon Lon Ranch," the girl replied. Then he remembered, _The girl!_

He sat up quickly, hearing a sharp intake of breath as he did so. He looked around him.

Lance was in a small bedroom, with a wardrobe to his left and the door to his right. There was a table with a few teacups on it. It was very late at night.

He looked farther to his right and saw the very girl that he remembered. It all came back to him now. The drunk. How he had madly grabbed his wrist to stop him from taking advantage of the girl.

She was so beautiful. Lance really wanted to know her…

"I'm Marin," she said. She held out her hand. Lance took it. "I'm Lance," he said. He didn't want to say anything about being the prince.

As if reading his mind, she said, "You know, you look a lot like the prince."

Lance chuckled nervously. He racked his brain for something to say.

"I've always thought he was a stuck-up jerk," Lance blurted. Nice.

An awkward silence followed. Lance didn't know what to say, and Marin was staring at the floor twisting her hair.

Lance decided to pass the time by just staring at the formations in the ceiling. He saw a turkey… an explosion… some kind of bird—

"That was a really brave thing to do," she said suddenly. She was looking into his eyes. She had beautiful green eyes. _Think, Lance!_ He couldn't remember what was so brave of him. Her eyes were mesmerizing.

Then Lance remembered. The drunk.

"No, it wasn't," Lance said. "It was stupid. The man was twice my size and, well, look at my face."

Marin laughed. "But it was. Most people wouldn't do something like that," she said kindly. She was looking into his eyes again.

"Well, I'm not most people," Lance replied. "I'm some idiot who does things without realizing it, and then gets himself into huge trouble and is only saved by the fact that—" he stopped himself quickly, almost revealing his social status.

"The fact that what?" she asked. "Uh, nothing," Lance replied. Marin hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Aw, come on, you can tell me," she said. Lance laughed playfully while she kept hitting him and said, "Naw, I really can't."

Malon looked through the crack in the door to her daughter's bedroom, where she had heard laughing and giggling.

There was her daughter, Marin, sitting at her own bedside, where the injured boy sat up, obviously trying not to tell her something.

She laughed quietly at how quickly the two made friends. Marin had always wanted someone like Malon had had in her younger years. With the king.

She had always had feelings for him, but over time, they dissipated. Then she met Troy, who she instantly fell in love with, and knew that she wasn't meant to be with Link. She just hoped that Marin would find that someone too. But these two seemed like an ideal couple.

She decided to leave the two be and went back downstairs with Troy.

"So… where do you live?" Marin asked inquiringly. They had settled down and were trying to find out more about each other.

Lance was having trouble with some of these questions. He answered quickly, "In Hyrule Market. I live in one of those houses in the Back Alley."

"Oh, have you ever seen any of the Royal Family?" she asked.

"Every once in a while I do," he replied. He felt guilty lying to her. But he knew that if he revealed his status, he'd be forbidden from seeing her again. And he wouldn't want that at any cost.

Before Marin could ask another question, Lance said, "So, what do you think of the prince?"

"I don't think much of him. Kind of like what you said; he's a stuck-up jerk. I don't see him much, but whenever I do see him he's lazing around doing nothing," she said. Then she added, "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, just wondering," Lance replied glumly.

She was about to ask another question when Lance stood up abruptly and said, "Well, I should probably be going now." It was only then when his knees felt wobbly and he collapsed.

He fell into Marin's arms, luckily, for she had stood up quickly to catch him.

She laughed and said, "I don't think so. You're staying the night."

"But I have to—" he began, but Marin put a hand to his lips and said, "I have serious doubts that you'll have the strength to stand. Besides the fact that my mother and father wouldn't let you leave the house in your condition."

Lance gave up and hobbled over to the bed again. He sighed and looked over at Marin. He hoped that he didn't end up like the relationship between her mother and his father….

"Well, you should probably get some rest," she said. "It's almost eleven o'clock." She patted his chest, noticing the muscular feel of it, and headed for the door.

"Where are you going to sleep?" Lance asked. She turned around with a cutely innocent look on her face and said, "We have a guest bedroom."

Lance thought it peculiar that she didn't put him in the guest bedroom in the first place.

"Good night," she said warmly. "Night," Lance replied. He turned over and fell asleep almost instantly.

"Where the devil is he!" Link cried. Zelda just shrugged. She didn't know any better than he did. Link was pacing around the room, as he always did when he was worried. They were in their bedroom, wearing merely their underclothes, as they were getting ready to go to bed.

"It's almost eleven o'clock and he's still missing! I haven't seen him since he left for work!" Link shouted.

"Shh, darling, you'll wake the children," Zelda whispered.

Link slapped his hands to his sides and sat down next to his wife.

"I wish he'd tell me these things before he left," Link said. "We can wait until morning if he doesn't come home tonight," Zelda replied. Link nodded and laid down on the bed, opening his arms, beckoning Zelda to lay down next to him. She complied and let him wrap his arms around her as they cuddled on the bed for a moment, then Link pulled the covers over them and they slept in this same position.


	7. Chapter 7

Lance awoke, feeling something soft move through his hair. He smiled at the comforting feel of it and opened his eyes.

Lance saw Marin quickly draw her hand away from his head, biting her lip. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked. He was about to say that if he could wake up to her face every day, he wouldn't mind if she woke him up. But instead, he said, "Nah, I was awake before then."

She smiled and stood. She walked over to the other side of the room, looking out the window. She didn't appear to be staring at anything in particular. She was just…. staring.

Lance looked at her curiously. "What are you staring at?" he asked inquisitively. Marin snapped her head in his direction and said casually, "Oh, nothing. Just watching the sunrise."

Sunrise? Lance had _always_ wanted to watch the sunrise (or sunset) with a girl. He stood quickly, dizziness blurring his vision momentarily, and he walked over to her side. When she saw him standing next to her, she jumped about a mile.

"Lance! You should be lying down!" she cried. She was about to push him over there but he grabbed her hands softly and whispered, "I think I can stand now." They just stared into each other's eyes for a while. Marin looked mesmerized. Lance felt it in his own face.

For a moment, everything seemed to stop as the two gazed into each other's eyes, letting the time fly by.

Suddenly Marin snapped her head back at the sun, and Lance followed suit. _What just happened there?_ Lance thought. He just shrugged inwardly and watched the clouds turn from blue to dark orange.

Lance felt something warm and soft grip his hand. He looked down secretively and, sure enough, Marin had grabbed his hand. A surge of adrenaline shot through his body and he smiled inwardly. _This is awesome_, he thought.

"You know, Lance," Marin started as she looked back at him. Lance gave her his full attention. She'd earned it.

"What?" he asked. "I was thinking… whatever drove you to do something like that?" she asked. She never really clarified things like that. But Lance knew what she meant.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not the kind of person that likes to stand by and watch people take advantage of women like that," Lance explained.

Marin smiled. "That's sweet," she said. Lance didn't know what to say to that. "Thank you" seemed a little tacky, and nothing else came to mind. So he just smiled back.

She laughed and took his other hand. Now they faced each other, each of their hands wrapped around the other. Lance didn't know what was going on, but he liked it. He didn't care that they had just met the previous night, he felt like he'd known her all his life.

"So…are you…busy tonight?" Lance asked. Marin perked up, a fake but innocent look on her face. She was so cute when she did that.

"Well… I do have chores _all day_ today as usual but I think that my mother would allow the son of her former lover over," she said with a cute grin.

Lance's smile was instantly wiped off.

"How did you know?" he asked. "Well," she said. "When you asked me that question about the prince, I noticed how much you looked like the king. So I just assumed that you were him, and the look on your face proved it."

She didn't seem angry at all. This was…odd.

"You're not angry?" Lance asked. Marin shook her head. "I can understand how you would feel," she said.

Lance smiled. He was about to say something when he realized that his parents were probably worried sick about him.

"I have to go!" he cried suddenly. Marin looked a little surprised at first, and then she smiled. "Okay," she said. Lance didn't know what to do. Should he… kiss her goodbye?

Then he decided that he wanted his first kiss with her to be special. Not just a goodbye. So he gave her a quick hug, picked up his things, and left the house.


	8. Chapter 8

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" Link yelled. Lance backed away, cowed.

"Whoa… okay, I'll tell you, but if I do, will you stop yelling?" he asked. Link nodded, a rather annoyed expression on his face.

"Okay, I was working on the roof of the Happy Mask Shop and I heard a girl screaming. There was some guy trying to… yeah, and I went over there and grabbed his arm and told him to stop," Lance explained.

"And?" Link asked impatiently. "Link, calm down!" Zelda said, grabbing his arm.

Link sat down, still rather angry.

"So anyway, I grabbed his arm and told him to stop and he tried to punch me. Well, things got out of hand and I ended up unconscious and I woke up at the girl's house. I was in too much pain to move so I was forced to stay the night," Lance finished.

Link still looked annoyed. "And you didn't bother telling us by letter or anything!" he asked after a while.

"Well, I woke up at quarter to eleven that night!" Lance shouted. Link _still _looked annoyed, but didn't say anything.

"Look, Lance, we were worried sick about you when you didn't come home last night. We understand the circumstances and we're sorry. Right, Link?" Zelda said. Link nodded.

Lance relaxed. "Okay, thank you. Now, I'm exhausted, and I'd like to go to bed," he said. And he left for his bedchamber without another word.

Lance was anxious for his hot date that night. He woke up at about 6:00 pm, and the date wasn't until 8:00. He just forced himself to calm down, although he did feel guilty about not telling his parents. But it was the only way that he could ever see Marin again.

Marin… just the thought of her name almost put him in a coma. He almost felt like he loved her, but he hadn't even known her for twenty-four hours. He shook that out of his head. _You don't love her_, he thought. _You just barely met her._

He looked at the clock…. It was time. He gulped and exited his room.

"Hey Mom, Dad, I'm going for a minute. Be back later tonight," he said. His dad was about to object, but his mom stopped him by mouthing the words, "It's okay."

A/N: Sorry that was so short. I'm a little preoccupied with a novel I just started and plan on publishing. I would send you updates, but then you wouldn't wanna buy it when it comes out. ;) Just know that if you hear about a book written by Zac Watts, it's mine.

I decided to do the one thing that BabyGurl278 is doing where she thanks her reviewers in her story… I've only got two, but oh well, things might change.

**BabyGurl278**: Thank you for your continuous reviews, they help me keep writing. Although more reviewers would help ;).

**Fire Wolf86**: Thank you for your review, and as soon as I'm done with this story, the sequel (which is already written and posted) focused more on Lance than anyone else so enjoy!


	9. Chapter 9

Lance knocked on the door three times. He was nervous. This was his first date that wasn't chaperoned by his parents and with a noble.

He looked down at his hands. They were sweating. He didn't want Marin feeling his sweaty palms when they held hands (which was a guarantee) so he quickly wiped them off on his tunic.

Marin answered the door with a cute smile. "Hi, Lance," she said. "Hey," Lance replied. She gave a sweep of her arm to invite him in. He complied and removed his cap.

"Would you like to sit down?" she asked. "Yes, thank you," Lance said and he sat on the couch. Marin sat next to him.

"Now… how did your parents react to the previous night?" Marin asked. Lance sighed and said, "They didn't take it so well. Or at least my dad didn't. My mom was okay with it once I had explained it, but my father was very angry."

Marin nodded. She seemed a little… mellow. Not as excited and lively as she had been the previous night.

"Marin… is something wrong?" Lance asked. Marin sighed. For a moment she just sat there, and then she burst into tears. Lance didn't know what to do at first.

"What is it?" he asked sympathetically. She sniffed back her tears. "My… my grandpa's dying. You know, Talon?" she sniffed again. "He's had three heart attacks in the past week. If he has another one, his heart will give out for sure."

She started sobbing again. Lance quickly wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his chest. "It's okay, Marin. His time's come," Lance said. This didn't seem to help.

"I've always had such a special relationship with him. We were really close, and I don't want to lose him," she said. Lance started to rock her back and forth and stroked her hair sympathetically.

Suddenly she pulled out of their hug gently and sniffed back her tears again. "I'm sorry, you didn't come over here for this, did you? I'll go ahead and make us some dinner." She sniffed again and left the house.

What was she doing? Lance watched her leave for a moment. Then he decided to follow her.

She was going over behind the house. Weren't there cuccos back there?

Now Lance understood. She was going to kill a cucco to roast for dinner. Lance made a bet with himself that he could roast cucco better than her. So he went over to her.

"Marin, let me," he said. She was startled by his voice. "It's okay Marin, go back inside and I can roast the cucco." She seemed surprised that he was doing this.

"Don't you have your meals cooked for you at the castle?" she asked nervously. Lance laughed and said, "Yeah, but my dad, having lived by himself for a long time, taught me how to roast cucco really well. I can do it."

Marin hesitated for a moment, and then entered the house.

Lance felt really bad for Marin. He never knew his grandparents on either side, and his parents weren't even close to being old enough to die. He supposed that eventually they would and he would feel the same way Marin did, but that wouldn't be for a long time. He could be married and have children by then!

Lance drew his dagger and quickly jabbed it into a cucco's throat. It squawked for a moment and then crumpled. Lance then sawed off the head with the back of his dagger and wiped off the blood with a nearby rag, then, as his father had taught him, tied a small rope around its neck to keep the blood from spurting too much.

He then went to the stables, where they were bound to keep firewood or small sticks for roasting their cuccos. He found some sticks and a slab of flint and went back outside.

"Wow, this is really good!" Marin said after she had swallowed a bite. "Thank you," Lance said.

"I don't think my dad's ever roasted cucco this well!" she said. Lance was beginning to get embarrassed. Marin could seem to tell. She laughed.

"Sorry," she said. "No, it's okay," he replied. There was a rather awkward silence afterward that made Lance even more uncomfortable. They ate in silence for almost twenty minutes before another word was uttered.

"So… how exactly did your father defeat Ganondorf?" Marin asked. Lance found that to be a rather random question, but it was better than silence.

Lance put down his part of cucco, which he had just finished, and wiped his mouth. He leaned forward to emphasize the seriousness of the new conversation.

"Well… I'm not exactly sure of all the details, but I do know that my father did not do it with ease. It all started when my mother had a dream about Ganondorf, one of her father's… associates, so to speak, taking over the kingdom, but someone carrying a green stone defeated him. I'm guessing you know who that is," he said. Marin nodded.

"In the meantime, my father, being only ten years of age at the time, was sent inside the Great Deku Tree, guardian of the Kokiri Forest, to remove a terrible curse that had been placed upon him. But by the time he had, it was too late. But in doing so, he proved himself worthy to carry the Kokiri's Emerald, one of the Spiritual Stones.

"The Great Deku Tree, in his last words, instructed my father to go to Hyrule Castle to meet my mother, Princess Zelda, for she had some important information to tell him. When he arrived, she told him of the dream she'd had. Afterward, he was instructed to go to Death Mountain and Zora's Domain to retrieve the Spiritual Stones of Fire and Water. On his way back from Zora's Domain, he saw my mother and her guardian, Impa, retreating from the castle away from Ganondorf, who had just assassinated the king. My mother had thrown something from the back of the horse, the Ocarina of Time."

Lance went on to tell her the long story of how Link had recovered the seven Medallions needed in order to cross the gap to Ganondorf's Tower and to destroy the King of Evil with the almighty Master Sword.

After the long tale, Marin's eyes were wide and understanding. Lance guessed that she had never known why her mother was afraid that Hyrule Market was attacked. Even more afraid than she normally would be if it had been attacked by anyone else.

"So… Ganondorf's back? And Hyrule could end up just how it was before?" Marin asked apprehensively. Lance nodded.

Marin sat back and covered her mouth. Lance looked at her for a moment to emphasize the gravity of the situation, then leaned in closer.

"Ganondorf has declared war on Hyrule. This is the first full-fledged war in centuries. Luckily our soldiers are heavily trained. This helps the fact that their armies are much larger than ours. Although, personally, I do not think that this will be an easily won war. My father will have to awaken the Master Sword once again if he is to defeat Ganondorf," Lance explained. Marin nodded.

Lance stood in the doorway as Marin swayed back and forth flirtingly.

"I had a good time with you tonight, Lance," she said, her trademark cute smile on her face. Lance knew what she wanted. He just didn't have the guts to deliver it.

"I-I, uh, had a good time too," he said. _Just get it over with!_ he thought. He leaned in quickly and held about three inches from her face. Their noses nuzzled for a moment as they looked into each other's eyes, and their lips met.

Lance didn't want his first kiss with her to be one he'd forget, so he placed his hands on her face and deepened the kiss. He held it for almost thirty seconds, until he broke the kiss.

Marin smiled, satisfied. "Good night, Lance," she said. "Good night," he replied. She closed the door slowly until Lance walked over to the stable and retrieved his horse.


	10. Chapter 10

Lance rode his horse across Hyrule Field, excited for what was to come. It was his and Marin's next date, and he wanted to be sure that it would be a pleasant one after their departure at the previous date.

Sometimes he got the feeling that they were going too fast. He had only met her about a week ago, and already they had kissed. He didn't know if that was normal or not, and his guilt deepened even further after having kissed her.

Suddenly he smelled something. Something that he instantly knew was not good. He looked up at the great, circular ranch in the center of Hyrule Field and was appalled at what he saw.

Black smoke rose from where the house should be in Lon Lon Ranch. He could tell that the house was no longer burning if it had been at all, and the only thing that confirmed that the ranch had been attacked was the fact that the wall was out in one spot. Rubble littered the ground around it; they had probably used a battering ram, for some of the rocks were a great distance from the wall.

He snapped the reins hard, and the horse seemed to realize the urgency of the situation, for she whinnied loudly and galloped faster, taking him to the ranch as quick as possible.

Lance stopped quickly at the forested arch that was the entrance and didn't even bother to tie his horse; he knew that she was faithful enough to stay there anyway.

He entered the ranch and stopped dead in his tracks.

It was in a shambles. There was a hole in the house roof, where black smoke billowed, the little arch over the horse pen was broken in half, most of the stable's wood was blackened, and there wasn't a single animal anywhere to be seen.

He instantly thought the worst, because he didn't hear movement in the house. But he went inside anyway, hoping against hope that she was still alive.

He raced up the stairs to the hallway, which had recently been added to the house to make room for Marin, Malon, Troy, formerly Talon, and the baby that was still in Malon's womb.

Suddenly he was falling through the air, but not for long. He crashed down on the floor, hard, the wind knocked out of him. He looked up as he lay on the ground, waiting for his breath to return to him.

He had fallen through a spot in the floor that had apparently been weakened by the fire. _Smart move, Lance_, he thought. _Now you're trapped down here!_

There had to be some way to get out of here. He hadn't brought his sword; that probably wouldn't have settled well with Marin's parents. He hadn't even brought a dagger!

Lance instantly began to search around for some way to escape, but the minimal light provided in the hole he had crashed through wasn't nearly enough. He bumped into walls and stumbled over things on the floor.

It was hopeless. All he could do was wait for someone to get there and maybe help him.

He screamed loudly in anger and smashed his hands into the wall, which were made of wood. His fists smashed through the weakened wood, making him feel like even more of an idiot.

He waited under the house for what seemed like hours, trying to find some way to entertain himself until someone arrived.

And that was when he heard it. A footstep. He never thought he'd be grateful to hear something as simple as that.

"Hey! Help me, I'm trapped down here!" he shouted. He heard another footstep. Whoever it was, it sure wasn't Marin, because they weren't speeding up any.

Suddenly he felt like he had made a mistake. It sounded rather ominous… and heavy.

The red eyes that glared down on him from above confirmed his suspicion. Glowering down on him was a bokoblin. He had piercing red eyes, the standard blue skin, and a heavy suit of black armor. Luckily he had left his helmet behind, but the smirk on his face implied that he wasn't there for tea and cookies.

The bokoblin let out a great war cry and leaped down, breaking even more of the wood that Lance had.

Lance prepared himself for a fight. He had no weapon, and the bokoblin had a large sword strapped to its back, which he instantly drew once he landed, shaking the foundation of the house.

Lance immediately threw a punch for the bokoblin's face; the gloved knuckles made contact with the creature's nose. Lance felt the bone snap as he jammed his close hand into it.

The bokoblin cried out in pain and anger, giving a blind, heavy swing of its sword in retaliation. Lance quickly jumped back to dodge the swing, then rolled forward and threw another punch at its belly, quickly realizing that it was covered with a breastplate. His hand instantly went numb with pain, and he clutched it to try and ease it

The bokoblin laughed and kicked Lance right in the face with its steel-toed boot. Lance felt his own nose break for the second time in two weeks. He had just barely had it healed in the Hall of Healing, too.

Blood squirted from his nostrils once the boot made contact with his face. He soared backward briefly until he slammed into the wall. Now his back hurt….

He fell to the floor but rolled over to avoid being sliced in half by the bokoblin's massive sword. He then kicked the bokoblin's hand that held the sword and the weapon flew off to somewhere that neither of them could see.

The bokoblin was obviously angered by this and gripped Lance by the scruff of the neck. He then threw him backward and sent him soaring once again, this time breaking through the solid wooden wall and spilled onto the grass area in between the stable and the house. At least he was finally out of the house.

The bokoblin didn't even hesitate to leap out of the new hole in the wall and land on top of him. Lance rolled over again and kicked the bokoblin in the face, the only place that he could do damage.

The bokoblin rolled over, allowing Lance the time he needed to race back into the hole in the house and search for its sword. But just as he touched the hilt, he was grabbed by the ankles and thrown across the floor, and the bokoblin gripped the sword instead.

He hacked down again and again on Lance, who kept dodging and rolling out of the way. Finally he was able to kick the bokoblin's hand again and grab the sword before it hit the ground. He was still on his knees, so he quickly rolled around and behind the bokoblin and slashed out at the one part of his back that was exposed.

The bokoblin screeched in pain until Lance put it out of its misery and decapitated the filthy beast. Its blood spurted across the room and fell silent.

One thing was now for sure. Ganondorf and his bokoblins had attacked the ranch. Why, he did not know. But one thing was certain.

Marin was not dead. If she had been, they wouldn't have left a bokoblin behind to wait for Lance. Somehow they knew he would come, and they left behind a bokoblin to kill him. They—

No they didn't. They had left a bokoblin behind to let Lance know that it was Ganondorf who had attacked. They had known he was going to be there because they knew that Lance had a relationship with Marin, and they wanted to get rid of Lance. But for what?

To get to Link. If his son was killed, his heart would die and he would lose the will to fight, and Ganondorf would finish him off in a heartbeat. And that could not happen at any cost.

Suddenly Lance heard a war horn. He recognized the sound from Hyrule Market. Was it under attack again!

He quickly raced out of the ranch and beheld an awesome sight. There, a mass of black and brown sped up the stone stairway that led to Kakariko Village. Something he knew to be none other than Ganondorf's army.

Lance let the past be the past for a moment and mounted his steed, snapping the reins in the direction of Kakariko Village, just as last of the soldiers entered the village. Already Lance could see black smoke swelling in the distance, and also saw another army, this time a mass of silver and blue, exiting the Hyrule Market drawbridge and following the army that had just entered Kakariko Village.


	11. Chapter 11

Lance cried out as he kicked his horse's sides and snapped the reins, almost over the stone bridge that cross the Zora River. He then looked back, making sure nobody saw him entering the battlefield. He wasn't supposed to fight in battles since he was royalty. Usually he got away with it, like the battle in Hyrule Market, but this was different. That time, he had no choice. This time, however, he had all the choice in the world. But he had too many of his dad's genes in him, so he couldn't turn down the opportunity to look like a hero.

As soon as his horse came up to the stone steps that led to the village, he leaped off her back, snatching up his sword and shield from the saddle, strapped them to his back, and beat feet up the stairs.

What he saw was tragic. There were dead bodies of innocent citizens everywhere, and every spot that wasn't occupied by a dead body was occupied by a live, armor-clad one, wielding a sword and fighting an enemy. The battle was huge. There were soldiers on top of houses, fighting for their lives, throwing spears at the enemy below and shooting arrows. For every one of Ganondorf's soldier's that fell, at least three Hylians fell. Lance knew he had to stop it, or at least help.

He drew his sword and struck the nearest Gerudo down, followed quickly by a bokoblin. He was soon a blur of green and gray, knocking down and killing any enemy that stood in his path. None would survive that opposed him.

Limbs were flying this way and that, and Lance's tunic was slowly turning from dark green to an ugly shade of brown. He had a feeling that the battle would be won, thanks to his help, and maybe the courage that his power provided the other soldiers with.

Lance saw a commanding officer shriek and lunge forward at him. He dived out of the way, tackling a bokoblin in the process. He quickly drove his blade straight through its armor and heart in order to parry the attack from the impending Gerudo.

Her sword was massive. It was long, wide, and jagged. It stretched at least six feet out, and was about three feet wide. It was colored a dark brown, but not from rust. Whatever it was, it was deadly. One strike from it and he'd be toast.

Quickly he dodged an attack, barely parried another, and rolled around behind her. She spun around, ready to block, but it was too late. Lance's blade was already in her belly. Her face twisted with agony, and then she fell dead. Lance ripped the blade from her stomach and moved on to the next victim.

The battle went on for hours. Lance's sweat was mixing with his blood, giving him a terrible stinging sensation all over his body. The battle needed to end, and soon. His father's commander-in-chief, Joktan, was surrounded by Gerudo. But, due to his amazing skill with a blade, he was able to take them all out in one great swipe of his beastly axe.

Kakariko Village was already on fire, and many houses had great holes in the roofs and walls. There was rubble everywhere, and due to the catapults mounted on the hills around the city, especially behind the windmill, many pieces of rubble struck soldiers, sometimes friendly ones. And then other times the catapults aimed at the ranks of soldiers themselves, sending them sprawling through the air.

Lance had to get rid of those catapults. He made his way over there, killing any enemy on the way. Several times he had to dodge out of the way and then kill the enemy, but most of the time it was a straight path to the catapults.

Once Lance got clear of the ranks, he snuck around the cucco house and ran quickly up the stairs in front of the entrance to the graveyard. The sound of battle echoed over in the plaza of the village, and every so often Lance heard the deafening _SLAM_! of a boulder crashing through a building.

Lance entered the windmill to discover that it was completely on fire on the inside. The whole room was glowing and flickering orange. Apparently the music man inside had escaped, unless he was crushed beneath one of the beams of wood.

He shook that morbid thought out of his head and got to work on climbing one of the beams that was weakened, but only flaming on the bottom. For now….

Quickly he walked up the beam, but not so quickly as to fall off. He already had this planned; he was counting on the inside being on fire, that way he could light one of the bombs in his bag and blow a hole in the ceiling, therefore allowing him passage to the area where the catapults were.

Once he reached the top, he leaped across the gap that led to Dampé's grave. He reached into his bag and pulled out a round, blue, circular bomb and slowly eased the wick into a nearby flame. As soon as it began to sparkle, he hastily moved it on top of a nearby beam and got as far away as possible without falling off the platform he was on.

After a few seconds, a loud _BOOM!_ sounded, and the ceiling now had a large hole. Without thinking, he leaped up and clung to the edge of the hole, pulling himself up and out as quickly as possible. Once out of the windmill, he saw bokoblins operating each catapult. They didn't seem to notice him. So he sheathed his sword and drew his dagger. He slowly eased up behind one of the bokoblins until he could feel the hair on the back of its neck.

In one swift movement he clapped a hand over its mouth, slitting its throat from behind and tossing it off the hill. Unfortunately, the next bokoblin was close enough that the blood from the other one's neck sprayed on him, alerting his attention in Lance's direction. He snarled and drew a large axe, screeching as it charged toward him. Lance quickly drew his sword, dagger still out. He dodged the first hack, which planted the axe's blade in the ground. The bokoblin heaved with all its might, but he couldn't get the axe out of the ground. Lance then thrust the dagger deep into its belly, causing it to cough blood all over the ground. He then pushed the body over just in time to parry a bokoblin's sword. Unlucky enough for it, Lance happened to have two weapons. So Lance held the sword overhead with his own as he planted his dagger in this bokoblin's chest.

After taking out these three bokoblins, he yanked the other one's axe out of the ground with ease. Sheathing his other weapons, he chopped one of the wooden beams that made that catapult's foundation. It crumbled in a useless heap in one swipe.

Lance then moved on to the next one. But by that time, the armies below had noticed that the catapults had stopped firing. He could already see a black-and-brown mass moving in his direction, already hurling spears and shooting arrows at him to stop him from destroying the remaining catapults. But they were all terrible shots, so Lance managed to destroy the next one without being touched.

But when he got to the next one, he was about to swing when something knocked him completely off his feet, knocking the wind out of him. When he tried to turn around on the ground, someone pressed his face into the grass. He was pinned.

"I don't think so, young one," a female voice said. She was a Gerudo. "It's a shame to ruin such a cute face, but one who stands in the way of Ganondorf must be punished!"

Lance gathered all the strength he could muster and threw her off him. He heard her gasp with surprise as he turned around to watch her land hard on the ground. She sprang to her feet and unleashed a barrage of slashes and swings of her scimitar in his direction, but he parried and dodged all of them with the large axe.

Then the Gerudo did a fake swing for his legs, and he fell for it. He leaped over nothing, and the blade made contact with the axe in front of him. Unprepared, it sailed off the hill, and he didn't have time to draw his sword.

He ducked under one swing and bent backwards under another. While in this uncomfortable position, he swept his leg under hers. Her legs went out from under her and she fell on the ground hard again. Without giving her time to react, he snatched the scimitar from her hand and pointed it at her neck. She looked a little frightened, but she had that nervous chuckle that brave people seemed to have before their deaths.

"Go ahead and finish it, Prince," she spat. Lance didn't have the heart for such a thing, so he tossed the large blade over the hill, pushing her off with his foot at the same time. He made sure the fall wouldn't injure her too bad.

He then went to work on the last catapult. With both the scimitar and the axe, ideal weapons to dismantle the contraption, out of reach, he would have to use his sword.

Lance drew his sword and instantly began hacking away. Chop after chop after chop, he slowly worked through the wood, splinters flying this way and that. It took at least ten minutes, but with one more hack, the wood beam separated in two, causing the entire thing to collapse.

He was just in time, for not a minute after all three catapults were gone, Lance heard a cheer of triumph. He looked up to see the Hylian soldiers raising their arms and waving their weapons as Ganondorf's soldiers quickly hastened out of the village. The battle was won.

But the real, final battle was very soon to come. Lance's feeling of victory was shortly replaced by anger, for he knew exactly where Marin was. And if there was anything in his power that could be done to save her, he would do it. As soon as his father led the attack on Gerudo Fortress, Lance was out of Hyrule Market and in the ranks of the Hylian soldiers. Speaking of his father….

"Lance!" a voice bellowed. He looked down and saw a blonde-haired man, clad in silver armor and blue underclothing, with his hands on his hips and the unmistakable Master Sword strapped to his back.

Lance gulped. There wouldn't be a pleasant family reunion waiting for him when he returned home.


	12. Chapter 12

Lance felt his face turn a brilliant shade of magenta. He was in deep trouble, the kind of deep where you fall for about an hour and then land on some kind of sharp rock and you're trapped in the Pit of Despair until you have the strength in your back to climb out.

"What do you think you're doing here!" his father shouted at him. Lance just stood there for a while. He didn't know what to say. He hung his head.

"You should be ashamed! You know you're not allowed on the battlefront!" he rambled. And when he rambled, he seriously rambled. Lance's despair quickly turned to annoyance and boredom as his father went on and on with the biggest guilt trip of Lance's life.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" he asked. "I'd just like to say that if it weren't for me, Kakariko would be a pile of rubble and there'd be a good chance that you'd be dead!" Lance blurted.

"That is beside the point—" "What, so you'd rather die and have Kakariko destroyed than me disobey your orders! That's the most ridiculous pile of rubbish I've ever heard!" Lance interrupted.

There followed an awesome silence. Link knew that his son was right, but he wasn't about to pardon him from his punishment.

Link aimed his last point in Lance's direction with his finger. "Lance, you will march home with us and at our arrival, we will continue this discussion." He then turned on his heel, headed for Epona.

Rachel had been in her bedchamber, combing out her hair after a nice bath, when Lance and Link stormed into the castle and went for her father's bedroom. They slammed the door behind them, but Rachel could still hear every word.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, Lance!" her father shouted. "I don't see why it's such a problem that I saved all of your lives! Is it too embarrassing to have the Prince of Hyrule save the army rather than the king! Is your ego damaged, and you have to repair it by making yourself look good in front of your captains!"

Apparently Lance had taken it too far, because Rachel heard a ringing smack, and Lance went silent. "You know better than to talk like that to your father!" Link bellowed. "It's only because you know it's true!" Lance retorted.

"Lance, I'm about this close to confining you to your bedchamber for the next three months!" cried Link. "In fact, I will. We will be leaving for the Gerudo Fortress tomorrow—"

Suddenly Rachel heard the door burst open. "Your Majesty!" a voice cried. "It's Lake Hylia… they've begun attacking Hylia Village!" Hylia Village… they had recently built a village on the shore of Lake Hylia, and apparently Ganondorf was attacking it.

"What!" her father cried. "Kakariko was a diversion! Muster all soldiers available, whether or not they've settled down to bed!"

"Yes sir, of course!" the captain shouted, and he left the room in a hurry. Link followed shortly, still dressed in his Hylian armor. This was going to be ugly.

Link sat atop Epona, feeling rather sick of fighting. He had just barely gotten out of a battle, it was night, and he was tired. He wanted to sleep, but now was not the time.

Once he saw that all his men were fully armed and ready for battle.

"Soldiers! I understand that we have just emerged from one of the greatest battles in Hyrulean history. But this one we are about to enter will be much greater, so be prepared! Do not let fear and doubt overcome your senses. We must be focused and ready for what lies ahead!"

With that, he led the army forward, and the march began. Lake Hylia was close enough that they could arrive within two hours. Hopefully Hylia Village would still be standing by the time they arrived. There weren't very many defenses there.

They arrived at the ridge leading to Hylia Village within an hour and a half. Link could see the battle below. It was a fierce one, with Ganondorf's forces at the top. That would not last long.

"Charge!" Link cried. His men echoed his cry, and their horses boomed down the ridge and into the battle below.

The natural arch above the entrance was loaded with archers. As soon as they saw the oncoming enemy, they unleashed arrows from their bows, many hitting their targets. Link's men were falling left and right, but he had plenty to spare. Before passing the arch, at least half of the archers above fell to the ground. Those who survived the fall were trampled under the hooves of their horses.

Link lowered his sword as to behead a bokoblin, who was bending over a Hylian soldier with his war hammer, ready to finish him off. Link stopped such a thing and quickly parried the blow of a cavalry swordsman, answering with a jab to the belly.

The battle was ferocious, brutal, and exhausting. Link found himself waving his sword back and forth in order to keep himself alive. The number of soldiers here was far greater than that of the ones at Kakariko.

Link quickly sheathed his sword in order to snatch a bow from a ground archer by him. The bokoblin whined, but Link just jabbed him in the head with the bottom of the bow. Then, quickly drawing an arrow, he flung the projectile forward. It sailed through the air and slammed into a Gerudo's chest, who was standing on top of a house, raising her sword high to attack a Hylian below.

With no more use for the bow, Link flung it in a random direction. The dragon tooth on the bottom collided with a bokoblin's head, and it fell dead.

Link drew his blade from his back, twirled it, and hacked straight through a Gerudo below him. She shrieked loudly, cut off by a horseman nearby, who accidentally trampled her. Link then parried two blows from an oncoming horseman and struck hard enough on the helmet that the sword got caught in the space between the brain and the skull. Link quickly yanked the blade out, sending the horseman sprawling.

Suddenly a loud noise echoed across the small valley, causing everyone to freeze. There was a black portal forming in the sky above the lake. This could only mean one thing.

Ganondorf came sailing out of the portal, riding atop his demonic-looking horse, wielding the same spear as Phantom Ganon had all those years ago. He had a devilish grin on his face, and he was wearing much more black armor than usual.

Without a word, he twirled the spear above his head like a baton and then swung it downward. A black sphere of dark energy hurtled downward and into the water. As soon as it made contact with the lake, it began to twist and rearrange into something monstrous.

Before even waiting for the finished product, Ganondorf laughed maliciously, yelling, "A little gift for the king!"

He then flew back through the portal, and it diminished immediately. But Link's attention wasn't focused on that. It was focused on what had formed in the water.

It was a centapus, a creature similar to an octopus, but at least twenty times bigger and it had one hundred tentacles. This thing was at least the size of the Lake Laboratory!

Instantly, the huge beast whipped out at least half of its tentacles out of the water and began waving them among the ranks of the Hylians. It struck several of its own soldiers, but it probably wouldn't matter due to the fact that the Hylians were greatly outnumbered.

Men were sent sprawling through the air, several still riding their horses. Most of the soldiers landed in the water, where the centapus wrapped a tentacle around them and stuffed them in its mouth, where Link saw thousands of teeth.

This thing was invincible. There was no way of stopping it without something extremely powerful. Something like… the Light Arrow. Link quickly grabbed a fellow archer's bow without his consent (what was he going to do about it?) and conjured the power of light into an arrow as he loaded it into the bow. He took careful aim… and unleashed the holy projectile. It stayed faithful to its mark and planted itself right above one of the centapus's tentacles.

It bellowed one of the most ear-splitting, blood-curdling screeches Link had ever heard. He clenched his hands to his ears, the pain was too excruciating, both for the soldiers and the centapus. But Link realized that was the only way to defeat it, so he drew three arrows at a time and unleashed them, injecting holy magic into them right before they were launched. All three pierced the centapus's grimy skin, but Link was not finished. He would spend his entire quiver before he would stop. The screeching was beginning to make his ears ring, but he would not stop.

Arrow after arrow after arrow was hurled across the lake and into the centapus until its head was riddled with wooden arrows the size of toothpicks compared to that monstrosity.

Finally, Link was down to his last five arrows. He drew them all and put the remainder of his magic power in them, which was a lot. They shone brighter than all the rest that he had fired. Using all the strength he could muster to pull the bow back with all five arrows, he took the most precautious aim he had ever taken and let them fly.

They whistled into the water, jetting forth at thirty miles an hour. The centapus saw them and apparently tried to avoid them, but apparently it was too late. Link clapped his hands over his ears just in time for it to utter its final scream of its very short, artificial life. The centapus exploded in a big ball of light energy, and everyone, including Ganondorf's men, were dazzled by the explosion. But the victory was short-lived. There were still soldiers to defeat.

Link was wrong. The victory was not short-lived. As soon as Ganondorf's soldiers saw their master's precious centapus get blown to smithereens, they fled for their lives, just like they had done at Kakariko Village.

The Hylian soldiers all raised their swords in triumph for the second time in twelve hours. They had won yet another battle, all within the same day. At least, almost the same day. The sun was already beginning to rise, and Link gave the signal for the soldiers to march home. The war was nearly won. There was only one more fateful battle to fight. And it would be the most brutal yet.

A/N

Well, I tried to make it longer, since I don't update often, but I don't think it worked. Oh well, sue me if you must. Thank you all for your reviews (if four to five people can be called "all"), especially BabyGurl278, who supports me in my takes-too-long updates. But it is almost finished! There are only a few chapters left. Take care all!


	13. Chapter 13

Link entered his home quietly; it was early in the morning, and chances were his family was asleep. So he let the door shut gently and quietly tiptoed across the parlor and toward his and his wife's bedchamber. He pushed the door open and peeked inside.

There she was, lying in a graceful position, sound asleep. Link sighed inwardly and entered the room, beginning to change into his sleepwear. He was all changed and had just barely grabbed the covers to pull them over him when Zelda shot up out of the bed. He jumped back, surprised, and thumped to the floor.

"Link!" she whispered. She climbed out of bed and pulled him up. "I was so worried!"

She then took off his shirt to see if there were any wounds that needed to be treated. She saw a small cut or bruise here and there, but overall he was pretty healthy. Zelda smiled and handed his shirt back to him, climbing into bed.

Lance stretched his arms with a yawn, happy that it was a new day. That happiness was short-lived when he remembered the severe punishment that had been inflicted upon him the previous night. He slumped back down on his bed with a moan. This was going to be miserable.

But there was hope. Lance's father had only briefly mentioned his punishment. With all the things on his mind, he could easily have forgotten. This hope began to build up, and his happiness returned. He clambered out of bed and dressed as quickly as possible. He then left his chamber to see the entire Royal Family sitting at the table, helping themselves to sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, and hash browns. The heavenly smells wafted over to Lance, and his mouth began to water.

"Ah-ah-ah, I don't think so young man," Link said. Crud. He hadn't forgotten. "I'll bring a plate in. You return to your chamber."

"This sucks!" Lance cried as he returned to his room. He thought he heard someone chuckle.

Lance lay there on his bed for a long time, letting his anger out slowly and calmly so he wouldn't explode on his father and get an even heavier punishment when he came in.

He decided to read one of his father's books; _The Art of War_, written by none other than Darunia, Sage of Fire. It wasn't the most exciting book, despite its title, but it would at least keep him entertained a little bit.

Link entered the room, carrying a plate of everything on the table with him. Lance marked his spot and received the plate.

"You know, you can come out of your room every once in a while. But you can't leave the castle," Link said simply, leaving the chamber. Lance was fuming, but he let the blissful taste of breakfast soothe his emotions.

Link sat in the study, one fist at his chin, pondering. He was very stressed. The thought of the oncoming climactic battle between his and Ganondorf's forces brought him to a point of paranoia. He already knew when the battle was scheduled; it was this coming Saturday. Hardly the ideal weekend.

Lance snatched a piece of parchment from a pile on his desk. This was more of a way to pass the time by than an actual note, since Marin was… somewhere in Gerudo Valley. He logged that thought away and dipped his quill in a jar of black ink, scratching the words, _Dearest Marin_ in the top left margin.

A/N:

It was a short one, I know, but I didn't have a lot of time to work with so what can I say. There are only three or four chapters left. I know that's not much, but considering the length of the chapters. Thanks to BabyGurl278 for her faithful reviews, and all you other reviewers whose names I can't remember… sorry….


	14. Chapter 14

Robin walked forth cautiously, his loaded bow in his hands. Every so often he'd stop, look around, and continue to move across the top of the academy wall. He was looking for his brother, Ze. They were in training, something that their father had suggested due to the fact that Ganondorf could attack any day. But with the coming battle, nobody expected another attack on Hyrule Market.

Robin saw a flash of movement in the darkness. He unleashed his not-even-deadly, padded tip arrow in the direction, but it bounced off the wall. Quickly he loaded his bow again.

Suddenly he was knocked to his feet, and he could feel someone's arms wrapped around him. Ze had tackled him. Robin threw his elbow back and it connected with his brother's chest. His grip weakened, and this gave Robin the chance to scramble up and load his bow. But by the time he got the arrow on the string, his brother was gone.

He kept wheeling this direction and that, looking around corners and pillars for any hint of movement.

Robin heard the loud sound of leather on stone. He quickly whipped around and unleashed the arrow without looking. It sailed forth and made contact with Ze's shoulder. It didn't puncture of course, but the force of it completely knocked him down from his leap. Robin drew another arrow and aimed it downward, at Ze's heart.

Ze smiled. That wasn't good. Robin looked down to see Ze draw a wooden dagger from his side. He lashed out and it smacked into Robin's arm. It felt bruised.

Without another second to spare, Ze drew his wooden sword from his back and swung at Robin. Robin abandoned his bow and drew his own sword, and it became a twelve-year-old, but far from childish wooden swordfight.

Wood cracked against each other again and again. These two children would grow up to be far better swordsmen than their father ever was due to their early training. Already they could fight like a rookie soldier, or better.

But since Robin focused more on long-range weapons than swords, he was at a disadvantage. Ze focused on nothing but blades. Therefore, he was a far better swordsman than Robin.

Ze slashed up and down and all around, doing everything in his power to land a hit on Robin. Robin barely had the time to parry Ze's attacks. The swordfight only lasted about five minutes until Ze made a crushing blow to Robin's sword that sent it flying. Ze then gently touched his brother's neck with his sword.

"You're dead," he said. Robin smiled and Ze dropped his sword, an identical smile spread across his cheeks. The two brothers embraced and left the training room.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Lance closed his letter of love to Marin and gently poured red wax over the envelope, sealing it with a stamp. Throughout the letter, his intentions grew more and more, and now he had every intention of giving it to her. He just didn't know when… he had to get her back. As soon as his father announced that they'd be attacking Gerudo Valley, Lance knew that he would have to sneak into the ranks.

Someone knocked on the door. Quickly he stashed the envelope in one of his desk drawers. "Come in," he said.

It was Rachel and her fiancé, Prince Matthew of Hanial. Matthew had just proposed the previous week, and he and Lance already had a nice friendship. It was never good to have an idiot as a brother-in-law.

"Hey, how's the troublemaker?" Matthew asked. Lance smiled and shook Matthew's hand. "We just came to see how you were doing."

"Oh, I'm fantastic, thanks," Lance said. Matthew laughed. "It's probably miserable, eh?"

"Well, I've found ways to entertain myself, but it is starting to get rather dull," Lance said.

"So who's this Marin I've been hearing about?" Matthew asked with a smile.

"Oh she's—" Lance began, but then he realized something. He hadn't told anyone in his family about her! He began to panic. "How'd you find out?" he whispered. Matthew chuckled.

"Rachel told me. Don't ask me how she knows," Matthew replied. Lance turned to his older sister.

"How did _you_ find out?"

"I saw you two in the Market about a month ago. I realized that she wasn't royalty, so I didn't utter a word to the family 'cause I love ya," she said. Lance couldn't help but smile.

"But how do you know her name?"

"I heard you talking to her, and you said her name. You're not the only one who likes to go out without guards," she said. It was true. Lance's parents were always wondering where Lance and Rachel were going, and their reply would be, "I just took some guards with me to go get a drink at the ranch."

The three talked for a while about everything. Mainly the war, and how excited they were for it to be over but nervous because their father (and future father-in-law) would be in it. Matthew was part of the Hylian army as well, top rank. In fact, he was one of Link's head captains. He had moved over here from Hanial a few years ago, and, they being royalty, Link immediately ordered for there to be a residential building placed in Hyrule Market for he and his brother, who would return to Hanial as soon as each of them found a wife. Matthew enlisted in the army the year after moving, and Link had set him up with his daughter shortly thereafter.

Lance had always been a little bit jealous of Matthew, since he was able to fight in the army due to the fact it was not of his own nation. But he liked him all the same.

They talked until it was almost bedtime. Matthew announced that it was getting late and that he should head home. He kissed Rachel goodbye. Twice. Three times. Four. Lance began to lose track of the amount of time their lips touched, and finally Matthew pulled away with a laugh, saying that he really had to get home.

"Could you cut back on the mushiness while I'm around?" Lance asked, a disgusted look on his face. Rachel laughed.

"Good night, little brother," she said, leaving his room. And so, Lance was left alone in his bedchamber to think of nothing but how he would be able to save Marin.

A/N:

This was longer than the last one, but it's still short by my standards. Thanks again to BabyGurl278 for her reviews. And I've decided that now is the time to announce that I will be posting yet another Zelda story that has _nothing_ to do with this and Link's Legacy. Of course, I will give people time to read my sequel before I start working on the other one. A brief synopsis will be given at the end of my final chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

Lance pushed open his bedchamber door quietly. He looked into the dining room to discover that no one was awake. Except his father, who had already left the castle to prepare for the final battle against Ganondorf.

He snuck forth quietly, making no sound with his boots in his right hand. He exited the house area of the castle and breathed a sigh of relief. He then slipped his brown leather boots on and went down the stairs, headed for the army barracks. All he had to do was cover his face.

Lance did it. He was riding on top of a beautiful brown war horse, clad in silver armor and blue, padded clothing underneath his plate mail, with chain mail beneath it. But it didn't weigh much due to the new technology discovered by the man at the Hylia Laboratory. He found a way to make water into metal and make it weigh less, but still be just as strong.

Link seemed tense. He sat atop his horse, waiting for all his men to file in. He didn't look as if he wanted to give a speech. Maybe he was waiting for the time right before they entered Gerudo Valley. That would probably be smarter anyway.

Once they all entered, Lance's hunch seemed correct. All Link did was raise his sword high in the air and point it to the south, the direction of Gerudo Valley.

The army trotted forth slowly, taking their own sweet time. Their horses would need as much energy as possible for the battle they were about to fight. Ganondorf's forces almost doubled what they had. But the Hylians were much better trained.

The march was not long, since the trip to Lake Hylia was about one hour and Gerudo Valley was another thirty minutes from that. They climbed up the short hill that led to the valley and stopped right before the entrance. Just as Lance had predicted, Link began to speak.

"We are about to enter enemy territory. You must realize that many of you won't come back. If any do not have the courage to continue, you are welcome to leave. I will not count it as an act of treason," he said. This was unexpected. It did not seem in Link's character.

But nobody moved. There weren't even any skeptical looks or fright. They all stared back at their king, determined to continue on and fight the final battle of the Hylian War.

Link looked back proudly. "Very well then," he said. "The battle will be fierce. No doubt, there are hundreds of thousands of soldiers in there. We must be prepared in every way."

Suddenly a look of rage formed on his face, and he uttered one word. "Attack!"

Everyone echoed his call and galloped after him, into the depths of Gerudo Valley, Lance smack dab in the middle, screaming as loud as the man beside him.

Upon entering the valley, Link noticed that there were no life forms whatsoever. It was all dust and rocks. They must have been around the Fortress. But with as many as there were supposed to be, they wouldn't fit in that small space. They must have been cramped in the shooting range and in the Haunted Wasteland.

They stormed across the bridge in double file, careful not to break it with their weight. Without even slowing down, they dashed through the opening by the carpenters' tent and entered the Fortress grounds.

Once they saw the Fortress, Lance knew he was right. The entire fortress was lined with black forms, all raising weapons in the air, making the entire area rumble with the roar of at least five hundred thousand people, including the Hylians. This was going to be intense.

Link didn't stop for the lines of archers in front of him. Before they could even load their bows, he and the frontlines bowled over them and trampled a good majority of them, until the number of soldiers got so dense that he had to cut his way through.

Lance felt bokoblin hands clawing at him, trying to pull him from his horse. He knew that if they did, he was doomed. So he thrashed enough to get them off, but no so much as to look like a little child throwing a tantrum.

Some of the Hylians were forced to climb up the stairway in the large knoll to get any fighting in. The frontlines had caused traffic jam due to the amount of soldiers before them. But the Hylians were at an advantage. There wasn't a single horse on the Gerudo side. Their numbers made up for it, however.

Lance slashed downward, right into the chest of a bokoblin. Blood sprayed on himself and many of the soldiers around him. But he was almost oblivious to his own actions. It was like his mind had taken over and was guiding him through the Fortress to Marin. He knew she was there. In fact, his main reason for leaving his bedroom was that he had just received a letter from Ganondorf, saying that he had Lance's "little pretty." Lance's motivation had never been more sure.

Lance began planning a way to get through the ranks of the bokoblins faster. His mind raced as he involuntarily decapitated a bokoblin next to him.

He had a plan. Instantly, using the technique his father had taught him, Lance stuck his sword out to his right. Lance could see the magic energy gathering in the air in the direction of his blade. It started to get dark. Everyone noticed. Then Lance thought of his father. Only members of the Royal Family knew this. Quickly he spun the sword in a whirlwind at his side. The magic energy went out in a circular shockwave, blowing many of Ganondorf's soldiers away. Luckily, he was so far ahead of his own comrades that none of them were injured.

There was a circle of empty space around him. The soldiers that had previously formed that circle were now on top of several unprepared soldiers. Lance used this time of hesitation to trample his way through the ranks and over to the first entrance of the Gerudo Fortress. He had made it!

Lance jumped off his horse and ran pell-mell for the entrance. He briefly remembered hearing his name being called, but he ignored it and continued on into the blackness of the Gerudo Fortress dungeon.

A/N:

Alright, the next two chapters are the last ones. The next one will depict the showdown between Lance, Link, and Ganondorf. Keep reading, it gets better!


	16. Chapter 16

Lance stormed into the Gerudo Fortress dungeon, tossing his helmet aside while doing so. There were several Gerudo guards inside, but Lance burst in so fast that they never knew what hit them. Lance was through the corridor and in the main dungeon area in seconds.

There were several cells, most of them full. They all looked to be Hylian due to the length of their ears. But one person stood out. It was a redheaded female.

"Marin!" Lance cried and rushed over to the cell. She was sitting in the corner, eyes wide open. Her hair was matted against her face and she had several small cuts on what was visible of her face. She also had a bruise here and there on her skin, a lot of which was visible with the outfit she had obviously been forced to wear.

When Lance crouched down in front, she didn't move much. She just moved her head slightly in his direction and brushed the hair from her face. It was like it didn't register that someone had come to rescue her.

It took a full minute for that to happen. She burst into tears while Lance began picking the lock with a piece of bone on the ground. He didn't want to think of what kind of bone it was.

As soon as the cell was open, Marin thrust herself into Lance's arms, and he wrapped his own around her back. She dug her head into his shoulder, and all Lance could do was run his fingers through her hair, trying to comfort her.

"I'm so glad you came," she sobbed. "I didn't think I'd ever get out of there. They barely fed me anything."

"It's okay, I'm here. I'm going to take you back to the ranch…." Lance trailed off in remembrance of Lon Lon Ranch. It had been almost leveled. There wasn't much left.

Marin took her face off his shoulder and planted her lips on Lance's, and the couple shared their second kiss together. But it was short-lived, for something loud slammed behind them. Their lips parted and made a brief smacking sound.

Before Lance knew it, his hands were thrust behind his back and tied with an itchy rope. Whoever had him grabbed his sword and shield and threw him forward. Lance looked back and saw a Gerudo guard shove Marin back into her cell.

"Marin, no!" Lance cried. He fought for all he was worth, but something hard smacked him on the top of the head, and his consciousness left him.

Lance found himself in a very large room. His vision fuzzed in and out; the room was like a terribly manufactured mirror. He could hear voices, but he couldn't tell where they were coming from. One thing was for sure. The battle was still raging on outside.

"Ah, Prince Lance, glad you could join us," a voice boomed. It sounded all too familiar.

"Lance!" a female voice cried. It was Marin. She was in the room as well. But who was the man with the deep voice?

Lance tried to stand, but his legs felt like gelatin. He crumpled back to the floor, and the deep voice bellowed with laughter.

"Too weak to stand, Your Majesty?" the voice mocked. Suddenly something hard slammed into his stomach, just as his vision began to clear. The air whooshed out of Lance's lungs, and he strained to breathe. He could hear Marin shriek when it did. Lance could already tell that it was Ganondorf.

"You and your father think you are powerful, but nothing will prepare them for what is to come!" he bellowed. "Hyrule will fall, and I will become king again!"

Lance would've told him off had he been able to breathe. But since he couldn't, he sat on the floor, clutching his stomach, begging air to enter his lungs. He hadn't even had one gasp of air yet; he could feel his face turning red.

Finally he was allowed one short gasp, but the air left him again. Ganondorf chuckled. He seemed to like this.

"You have no idea how long I waited in the Sacred Realm. How long I suffered, waiting for my chance of vengeance to come. I broke free of the realm, and the Sages could not do anything about it."

"Well, at least you won't be going back," Lance gasped. Ganondorf showed brief puzzlement. "My father won't let you live this time."

Ganondorf gripped Lance by the scruff of his neck. "Why you little—"

"Ganondorf!" a voice shouted while the door burst open. Ganondorf simply dropped Lance on the stone floor, looking at the King of Hyrule, standing in his doorway.

"Ah, Your Majesty, welcome—oof!" he cried. Link had run up to Ganondorf and slammed his fist into the demon's stomach. He wore no armor, unusually, so the blow stung. But apparently not too much, for he grunted and returned the punch. It slammed into Link's chest, throwing him to the floor. This guy had to be a bodybuilder.

"Who do you think you are?" Ganondorf cried.

"Only who I am: The Hero of Time!" Link cried with renewed vigor. He leaped off the ground without using his arms and drew his blade, thrusting him and Ganondorf into a sword duel.

Link was not about to let himself be beaten as easily as last time. Ganondorf's sword hadn't shrunk any in size, but Link now had the upper hand with the element of surprise.

The duel raged on. Blow was exchanged for blow as the two kings battled for the rule of Hyrule. They were fighting so fast that the pang of steel on steel seemed to be as one ringing echo through the large room, which Lance still didn't know where.

It all ended in a split second. Lance barely even saw it. But the next thing he knew, Link was sitting against the wall, unconscious, a terrible gash in the opposite side as the previous one. The Master Sword clattered to the floor next to him.

Lance didn't even give Ganondorf the chance to start to monologue before he snatched up his father's sword. He half expected the power of it to shock him terribly and a loud voice to say, "Only the Hero of Time may wield this holy sword," or something like that. But it didn't. None of that happened. But Lance did feel power surge through him, and all his wounds seemed to heal.

"Why don't you ever die?" Ganondorf roared and leaped across the room. It was incredible; he was standing at the opposite wall, but he leaped all the way across and landed directly in front of Lance. Lance parried the imminent blow and rolled around the evil king.

The sword duel that followed was even more intense, more heated than the one between Ganondorf and his father. Lance threw everything in it; kicks, punches, flips, handsprings, and somersaults.

Lance tried to get at least one blow on Ganondorf, but he was too quick. When Lance tried to fake the evil king out, Ganondorf would send a ringing blow to his sword that sent him stumbling. He tried one last time, only to find out that it was a huge mistake. Pain seared through his thigh, and Marin shrieked again. Lance looked down and saw blood all over his thigh. This was bad.

It seemed to last for hours. Lance felt his shirt stick to the sweat on his body. The effort to parry a blow seemed like lifting a sixty-pound weight, and the swing of Ganondorf's massive sword always threw him back. The duel would have to end quickly or Lance would give up with exhaustion.

Lance tried to get at least one blow on Ganondorf, but he was too quick. When Lance tried to fake the evil king out, Ganondorf would send a ringing blow to his sword that sent him stumbling. He tried one last time, only to find out that it was a huge mistake. Pain seared through his thigh, and Marin shrieked again. Lance looked down and saw blood all over his thigh. This was bad.

Lance powered forward, exerting all the strength left in him, which wasn't much due to the blow he had just received. But the Master Sword seemed to give him strength enough to continue. It seemed to catch Ganondorf off guard, because his eyes were wide and he was backing up. Lance whirled his sword this way and that, and Ganondorf was having trouble blocking. Now was the time.

Lance leaped as high up as possible while twisting himself into an aerial. Ganondorf never saw it coming. In one fleeting instant, Lance stabbed the Master Sword forward and felt it splat into skin, muscle, and bone. Ganondorf choked on the steel of the blade; it caught in his windpipe.

Lance dropped down and saw dark red blood ooze from Ganondorf's neck as he clutched at the holy sword in vain. He fell to his knees, and then to his front, and, after a few short convulsions, stopped moving entirely. Finally, Ganondorf, King of Evil, was dead.

Lance limped over to Marin, the pain in his leg flaring up again. She was chained to the wall, sobbing quietly.

"Lance…" she whispered when he got to her. He picked up a steel ring with only one key on it that lay on the arm of the throne next to her. He unlocked both cuffs, letting Marin fall out of them and into his arms. They embraced briefly before kissing for all they were worth.

A/N:

All right guys, next chapter's the last one, and it will be a shorter one. I might as well give you the summary for my next story right now:

There is a teen named Link. He has a far-from-peaceful life and lives in the friendly village of Kakariko. He always finds himself running errands for the mayor and the village council. He never really has any fun with it, but the money rewards provide him with what he needs to make a living. But on one fateful day, Link comes across a traveler from somewhere in Hyrule, but he does not reveal exactly where. He seems to be very knowledgeable. Then, he reveals a secret to Link, a secret that he wouldn't have thought true in a million years….

It's a rough summary, I know, but it's just a basic one. There will be a better one on the actual story, and hopefully I'll get more than just one faithful reviewer. But, nevertheless, I am still grateful for BabyGurl278's reviews.


	17. Chapter 17

Link shook himself into consciousness. He didn't know what was going on…

The whole battle flashed before his eyes. How he and Ganondorf were locked in an epic duel, and, out of nowhere, he had been thrown against the wall. He hung his head in defeat, realizing that he had failed Hyrule, but most importantly, his son.

Lance. He was most likely dead. This caused tears to well up in Link's eyes. But when he heard the smack of lips, he shot his head up. He went from being depressed to very angry when he saw his son kissing some redheaded girl.

She looked very familiar. He would've yelled his son's name if the red hair hadn't caught his eye. He briefly remembered Malon's wedding, and the first thing that came to mind was: "Malon's cheating on her husband! With my son!"

But that thought was destroyed when he remembered that Malon had a daughter. Was this her?

Link's thoughts of forbidding Lance to have a relationship with this girl were abandoned at this. Malon was his friend. It didn't matter if this beautiful girl wasn't of royal blood. She was probably as good a girl as her mother.

But Link had to at least break the kissing up. There was still a battle raging on outside that needed their assistance.

"Lance!" Link cried, standing to his feet. Lance was interrupted for the second time that day.

"Dad!" Lance cried. He began to itch the back of his head in embarrassment. Link smiled.

"There's a battle outside that needs our help," Link said quietly, with a smirk. Lance grinned broadly. He turned to Marin and gave her one last quick kiss, saying, "I'll be right back. Don't you dare leave!" She nodded.

Link went over to Ganondorf's body and drew the sword from its neck unceremoniously. He took a good look at his former archenemy, then rushed out of the room, hot on his son's heels.

When they got outside, the battle hadn't softened any. The numbers were smaller, though. The Hylians and Gerudos now had room to move.

Lance drew his sword and leaped off the high balcony he was on. There was a nasty looking bokoblin right beneath him. He fell for about three seconds and landed on its shoulders, not even hesitating to plunge his sword into its head, leaping off and doing a back somersault in mid-air.

Lance saw that his father had done the same. The battle raged on ever still, but the numbers were cut almost in half and the Hylians were winning. And with the Gerudo King finally dead, there was no chance for the enemy's survival. They just had to keep fighting.

The sand was littered with the limbs and blood of human, Gerudo, and bokoblin alike. Lance never did well once the ground was visible during a battle. It was always too gruesome for him to take in. He found it easy to ignore it if he concentrated on a single enemy after killing one.

These soldiers wanted a fight to the death, Lance could tell by their desperate manner of fighting. Every time Lance got near one, they began thrashing and squirming like no other, much like a child throwing a temper tantrum. This made it much more difficult and required much more force.

Lance was beginning to worry that the Gerudos would win. He expected the battle to end much quicker than this, and the desperate actions of the Gerudo kept them alive much longer.

But just as that thought entered his mind, he saw someone rise into the air. Just lifted off the ground, arms outstretched. He immediately knew that it was his father; the Master Sword was clutched tightly in his hand. He was glowing a magnificent white, and rays of the light shot out across the fortress grounds. The Gerudos and the bokoblins seemed frightened. All activity in the area had completely stopped.

Link shone ever brighter, getting to the point where Lance had to shield his eyes. The light now covered the entire area. But what was it going to do?

Instantly the light shot out with force. Lance could see little black forms spiraling into the air, but he didn't see a single Hylian get hit. It must've been focused only on Ganondorf's forces.

And then the light left as quickly as it had appeared. When everything was visible, Lance didn't see a single soul on the grounds that wasn't wearing blue and silver. They did it. They won.

Gloves went soaring into the air as soldiers cheered their joy, embraced each other, and cried. The war was over. All because of the miraculous power of the Hero of Time.

Lance half expected his father to be lying on the sand, no energy left in him. He did seem a little weak and there was a slight limp in his walk, but other than that he was fine.

Link ran to his son and squeezed him in a giant bear hug in which Lance felt like the air was being sucked out of him. He laughed and cried with the rest of the soldiers. But it all stopped when he remembered Marin.

Lance burst into the room to find Marin sitting on the floor, looking quite bored. But when Lance entered, she beamed brightly.

"Next time you tell me not to move, give me a broader limit," she said. Lance grinned and opened his arms as soon as she started running.

Marin collided into Lance, almost knocking him off his feet. He staggered for a moment, then squeezed her as hard as he could without breaking her ribs, lifting her off the ground.

Lance then put her down and planted his lips firmly on hers. He didn't know how he was going to go about this. In fact, it had only been brewing in his head for about fifteen minutes.

Lance stopped. She looked puzzled, especially when he got down on his knees. But the five words that came out of his mouth made her burst into tears of joy.

"Marin, will you marry me?"

She threw her arms around his neck and bowled him over, planting kisses all over his face and neck, mumbling, "Yes, yes, yes," over and over again.

A/N: Sorry for the short finale. I kinda have a tendency to do that. I'll give you all some time to read my sequel before I post my next story. But be sure to read it fast; the entire story's posted so there are no excuses for waiting for updates!


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